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Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by echelon on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:41PM (#22469847)
For those who didn't quite get this on the first glance:

This isn't a low-fi analog sensor used for taking novel measurements of things. It's meant to be affixed to packages to determine if they were mishandled during shipment. If a package was dropped or overturned, the ball bearings will fall out of place and (presumably) be almost impossible to return to their original positions.

Pretty cool.

Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by LeoPanthera on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:02PM (#22470031)
On the example shown, it's virtually impossible to reset all the indicators just by rotating/shaking it. Turning it over to reset the angle indicator would trip the "180 degree" indicator. You cannot fix both.

(Though if the ball is metallic, you can use a magnet. This kind of tampering can be detected by putting one on the inside of your package.)

Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by babypuncher on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:11PM (#22470102)
The balls are made of glass to prevent use of such witchcraft.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by jascii on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:15PM (#22470130)
I kinda want to try static electricity on one..
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by samatman on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:25PM (#22470195)
It's an ingenious system, because the sort of package handler who would handle a package roughly isn't the sort to carefully figure out how to reset them, and vice versa.

This is only because the sort of person who would rough up a package and only then figure out how to 'fix' it, becomes a computer programmer instead.

Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by jkaptur on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:41PM (#22470331)
Sadly, most programmers are known for being bad at package management.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by vz8 on Monday March 02, 2020 @10:00PM (#22471427)
npm install -g babel-cli

npm ERR! code ENOENT

npm ERR! errno 66

npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in ...

npm ERR! ... eh, who are we kidding. Don't quit your day job.

Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by jascii on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:54PM (#22470421)
And the sort of person who would try to figure out to fix it before even touching the package goes into ops/ops-sec instead.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by tyingq on Monday March 02, 2020 @07:39PM (#22470699)
A long needle with a dab of super glue would probably work. It's brittle when it dries, so breaking the bond is pretty easy. Would leave 1 or 2 telltale holes, but you could be careful about where they are.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by RL_Quine on Monday March 02, 2020 @09:44PM (#22471343)
Nope. Super glue in a confined space causes a very visible white fog as it sets.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by soonerroadie on Monday March 02, 2020 @11:36PM (#22471812)
The receiver could always test it after the fact. If it didn’t work then I’m sure they would look closely for tampering and would have pretty good evidence that someone tried to defraud them. Seems risky.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by umvi on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:54PM (#22469973)
> and (presumably) be almost impossible to return to their original positions

You'd want the widget to have a tracking number on it though, because otherwise they could just rip the whole widget off and slap on a fresh one.

I'm hoping that's what the purpose of the number along the right edge is.

Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by mattkrause on Monday March 02, 2020 @06:05PM (#22470064)
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by _bxg1 on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:53PM (#22469969)
Yeah I had no clue what I was looking at. Thanks for the explanation.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by mike_d on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:55PM (#22469981)
> and (presumably) be almost impossible to return to their original positions

Unless they have fixed them, the bearings are metallic and can be reset with a magnet. (I had to do this a few times when I bumped the thing putting it on)

Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by LeoPanthera on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:58PM (#22470008)
This is why you stick them on the inside of your package, as well as the outside.
Re:Ingenious Low-Cost Tilt Detection System (2018) by csours on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:58PM (#22470004)
These look like glass from the low res photo.